Camellia plant named ‘Green 08-052’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Camellia sasanqua named ‘Green 08-052’, that is characterized by its strong, upright and vigorous plant habit, its large single flowers that are crimson red in color, its longer bloom season, and its high resistance to root rot and dieback.

Botanical classification: Camellia sasanqua.

Variety denomination: ‘Green 08-052’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Camelliaplant, botanically known as Camellia sasanqua, ‘Green 08-052’. The newcultivar will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Green08-052’. ‘Green 08-052’ is a new perennial shrub grown for container andlandscape use.

‘Green 08-052’ was derived from an ongoing breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Fairhope, Ala. The objectives of the breeding programare to develop new cultivars of Camellia sasanqua with compact planthabits, vigorous growth habits, improved disease resistance, andextended bloom periods. ‘Green 08-052’ originated as a seedling thatarose from seed planted from open pollination of Camellia sasanquacultivar ‘Green 98-009’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,506) as the femaleparent in 2005 in Fairhope, Ala. The male parent is therefore unknown.The new Camellia was selected as a single unique plant in Fall of 2008.

Asexual propagaton of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings by the Inventor in 2009 in Fairhope, Ala. Asexual propagationby stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of thiscultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new Camellia. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Green 08-052’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia.

-   1. ‘Green 08-052’ exhibits a strong, upright and vigorous plant    habit.-   2. ‘Green 08-052’ exhibits single flowers that are crimson red in    color.-   3. ‘Green 08-052’ exhibits flowers that are large in size.-   4. ‘Green 08-052’ exhibits longer bloom season (October through    December) in U.S.D.A. Zone 8.-   5. ‘Green 08-052’ exhibits a high resistance to root rot and    dieback.

The female parent of ‘Green 08-052’, ‘Green 98-009’, differs from ‘Green08-052’ in having a smaller plant size, flowers that are salmon-red incolor and peony-form flowers that are smaller in size. ‘Green 08-052’can also be compared to the Camellia sasanqua cultivars ‘Yuletide’ (notpatented) and ‘Bonanza’ (not patented). ‘Yuletide’ is similar to ‘Green08-052’ in having an upright plant habit and flowers that are red incolor. ‘Yuletide’ differs from ‘Green 08-052’ in having smaller plantsize with smaller leaves, flowers that are smaller in size with less redin color, and in being more difficult to propagate. ‘Bonanza’ is similarto ‘Green 08-052’ in having flowers that are red in color. ‘Bonanza’differs from ‘Green 08-052’ in having a smaller plant size and lessupright habit, flowers that are smaller in size and less red in color,and in having has less resistance to Glomerella cingulata both in thelandscape and during production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photograph illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Camellia. The photograph wastaken of a 4 year-old plant of ‘Green 08-052’ as grown outdoors in a7-gallon container in Fairhope, Ala. The photograph provides a close-upview of a flower of ‘Green 08-052’.

The colors in the photograph are as close as possible with digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the newCamellia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 4 year-old plants of the newcultivar as grown ourtdoors in 7-gallon containers in Fairhope, Ala. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming habit.—8 to 9 weeks in October through December in            Fairhope, Ala.        -   Plant type.—Evergreen shrub.        -   Plant habit.—Upright, bushy, vigorous.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 2.4 m in height and 2.1 m            in spread when mature in the landscape.        -   Hardiness.—At least hardy in U.S.D.A. Zone 7b to 9. Diseases            and pests. — Has shown good resistance to root rot            (Phytopthora cinnamomi) and dieback (Glomerella cingulata).        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.        -   Time required for root initiation.—An average of 40 days.        -   Time required for root development.—About 6 months to fully            develop in a 3-inch container.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Branch description:    -   -   Branch shape.—Round.        -   Branch strength.—Strong.        -   Branch color.—Young; a blend of 154C and 165A, mature bark;            a blend of 199B and N199B.        -   Branch size.—Main lateral branches; an average of 30 cm in            length and 3 mm in width with secondary lateral branches a            range of 8 to 20 cm in length and 2 to 3 mm in width.        -   Branch surface.—Young; finely barked, mature; finely barked,            slightly rough to touch.        -   Branching.—Densely branched with an average of 4 to 6 main            lateral branches and 6 to 10 secondary laterals per main            branch.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acuminate to acute.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf margins.—Serrate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf substance.—Thick and rubbery.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; smooth and glabrous and glossy,            lower surface; smooth, glabrous, and satiny.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 5.8 cm in length and 2.8 cm in            width.        -   Leaf aspect.—Held at about a 45° to stem, slightly recurved.        -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 9 per branch 17 cm in length.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, inconspicuous except for mid rib;            upper and lower surface 146B in color.        -   Leaf variegation.—None present.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature leaves upper surface; a color            between NN137A and and 139A but darker, young and mature            leaves lower surface; a NN137B.        -   Petioles.—Flattened in shape, an average of 2 mm in width            and 5 mm in length, glabrous surface, 146B in color, strong            and surved upwards towards stem.        -   Leaf buds.—Lanceolate in shape, an average of of 7 mm in            length and 2 mm in width, NN137C in color with apex 183A,            imbricate surface.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary.        -   Flower number.—4 to 5 per lateral stem.        -   Flower fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.        -   Flower longevity.—About one week, self cleaning.        -   Flower type.—Rotate, single.        -   Flower aspect.—Outward to slightly upright, held at an            average angle of 30 to 45° from stem.        -   Flower size.—An average of 9 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in            depth.        -   Peduncles.—None, flowers are sessile to stem.        -   Flower buds.—Ovate in shape, an average of 2.8 cm in length            and 2 cm in width, color; a blend 59A and 60A in color,            glabrous surface, terminal arrangement.        -   Sepals.—An average of 6, ovate in shape and strongly cupped            inward, imbricate, an average of 1.2 cm in length and 1 cm            in width, broadly acute apex, truncate base, entire margin,            color inner and outer surface; a blend of 138A and 138B with            some having a thin margin of 59B and suffused at base with            59C, outer surface glandular and dull, inner surface            glabrous and satiny.        -   Petals.—An average of 6, obcordate to obovate in shape, an            average of 4.5 cm in length and 2.8 cm width, apex cordate,            base cuneate, margins slightly undulated, color upper and            lower surfaces when opening; a blend of 59A and 187A with            very base 155B, color upper and lower surfaces when fully            open; a blend of 59A and 61A, glabrous and velvety on upper            and lower suface.        -   Receptacle.—Disk-shaped, 3 mm in diameter and 2.5 mm in            depth.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistil.—1, style is an average of 6 mm in length, 2 mm in            width, position of style splitting medium, and 145C in color            when opening, stigmas are four-parted with each appendage            <0.5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in length, club-shaped, 145B in            color, position slightly below stamens, and glandular in            appearance, ovary is oblong-oval in shape with pubescent            surface with long sliky hairs and 145C in color.        -   Stamens.—An average of 60, arrangement sasanqua, filaments;            an average of 1.3 cm in length, 68A in color when young and            changing to 39C, anthers; an average of 3 mm in length and 2            mm in width, and 13B in color, pollen; moderate in quantity            ans 6A in color, very rare petiolate stamens;            obovate-irregular in shape, a blend of 59A and 13B in color,            average of 6 mm in length and 4 mm in width.        -   Fruit and seed.—None observed to date.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Camelliaplant named ‘Green 08-052’ as herein illustrated and described.